Writing pad



April 27, 1954 s. BLUMBERG WRITING PAD Filed Sept. 18; 1952 INVENTOR.

Samue/ B/umery Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WRITING PAD Samuel Blumberg, Bronx, N. Y.

Application September 18, 1952, Serial N 0. 310,344 3 Claims. (01. 282-22) This invention relates to a writing pad for use in the dark. 1

It frequently happens that a person, after retiring at night, recollects information that he would like to preserve, but in the usual case, he is unwilling to arise, turn on the light, and assemble the necessary materials to make a written note. Usually he feels that he can wait until the next day to write it down, but then he is likely to have forgotten it again. The invention provides a writing pad designed for use in such and similar situations, for it can be kept on a table 'or stand adjacent the bed and when the table or bedside light is turned off, it will glow in the dark sufiiciently to enable it to be readily seen without, however, emitting such light as would tendto be disturbing.

The invention may be more fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the writing pad; Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, I is the writing pad as attached to a base I I. The pad comprises an ordinary small-sized tablet I2 comprising a cardboard back I3 and a stack of paper sheets I4. Above the uppermost sheet of stack I4 is a sheet I5 coated on its lower side with conventional transfer material. sheet I5 may suitably be ordinary carbon paper. Above it is a smooth, wearresistant sheet I6, preferably of plastic material, which incorporates a phosphorescent agent distributed throughout the entire sheet. The foregoing sheets I3-I6 are held together at one end by means of a clamp I! of heavy paper which extends transversely across the underside of the pad, is folded up at the side of the pad as at I8, and then is folded down over the edge portion of the pad to provide a fiap I9. Staple 20 holds the flap I9 firmly on the pad and serves to hold the various components of the pad together. That side of the pad opposite I8 is similarly constructed.

Looking at Fig. 3, the clamp I'I extends upwardly to the fold line 2I where it is bent downwardly, forming a transversely extending pocket 22 for a pencil. The downward fold of the clamp provides a headpiece 23 which is glued to the pad and to the fiaps I9. Fold line 2| stops short of the sides of the pad, two diagonal cuts 24, 24' being provided which extend from the top of the pad to the fold line.

The pad I0 may be attached to the base II in any suitable way, as by means of glue applied to the underside of clamp I1.

In use, the pad is exposed face up to an ordinary table or bedside lamp for a time, and this may be conveniently done during the time a person is preparing to retire. Such exposure to light activates or energizes the phosphorescent agent in or on the sheet It so that when the lamp is turned off, the agent emits visible light in the dark for a period of several hours. The pad is simply left on the bedside table where it continues to glow. Its position is thus visible and the user simply grasps the pad without turning on the light and makes any note that he wishes.

' The glow of the agent lights up the entire surface area of sheet I6, and when the users hand is in a writing position over this sheet, the hand and pencil are clearly outlined, enabling the note to be quickly and conveniently jotted down. The user writes on the smooth upper surface of plastic sheet I6, and the writing pressure causes a visible written notation to form on the uppermost sheet of stack I 4 through the medium of the carbon paper. By visible notation is meant a notation that will be visible under ordinary light after the sheets above the uppermost sheet of stack I4 have been turned up to expose the writting to view. Such uppermost sheet is then torn ed and serves as the written memo, the lower edge 25 of the headpiece 23 serving as a guide to enable the sheet of stack I4 to be torn oif. No writing appears on sheet I6, which may be used over and over again.

The phosphorescent agent in or on plastic sheet I6 may be activated by ordinary natural light, such as sunlight, as well as by ordinary artificial light such as electric table and bed lamps, etc. The agent may be incorporated in the plastic sheet at the time of formulation of the plastic, that is, prior to its manufacture into sheet form. The agent may also be applied to one side of the plastic sheet, preferably the underside, by painting or spraying it on, using a suitable vehicle for carrying the agent. In the latter case, the plastic sheet is preferably transparent, suitable clear plastics being acrylic, polystyrene, cellulose acetate, vinyl chloride-acetate resins, etc. The phosphorescent agent preferably comprises a sulfide of magnesium, calcium, zinc, strontium, or cadmium. Zinc oxide is a suitable agent, as are also titanium compounds. When painted or sprayed on the sheet It, the agent in a state of subdivision may be dispersed in a conventional vehicle like nitrocellulose or vinyl resin lacquers, conventional resin varnishes, ordinary paint-type vehicles comprising vegetable oil and a drier, and the like. The amount of agent in the vehicle should be suflicient to produce a good ing an upper sheet incorporating a phosphorescent agent distributed throughout the entire sheet, an intermediate carbon sheet, and at least one lower sheet for receiving a visible written notation, said last-mentioned sheet being nontransparent.

3. A writing pad for use in the ing an upper sheet of thin transparent plastic material incorporating a finely divided phosphorescent agent, a second sheet having at least its lower side coated. with conventional, transfer material, and a stack of blank, non-transparent dark comprismemorandum sheets underneath the second sheet for receiving visible written notations, said phosphorescent agent on the plastic sheet being adapted to emit visible light in the dark after having been exposed for a time to ordinary light and thus to light up the entire surface of the plastic sheet, said plastic sheet being adapted to be Written on to produce by means of the secondsheet visible written notations 0n the upper memorandum sheet of said stack, and said plastic sheet itself showing none of said visible notations.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,351,935 Willis Sept. 7, 1920 1,425,513 Donovan Aug. 15, 1922 2,347,285 Russell Apr. 25,1944 2,367,608 Ponnock Jan. 16, 1945 Gordon Jan. 25 1949 

